Nigeria's missing girls at risk of rape, HIV and vesicovaginal fistula

For about two weeks, the whole world had focused on Nigeria as citizens search for answers on the fate of the missing girls - over 200 - who were taken away from their schools by armed unnamed groups suspected to be members of Boko Haram terrorists' group. 

Unconfirmed reports point to the fact that the girls are at great risk and should be rescued without delay.

The first risk is evidently the most feared one - rape. Across the world, kidnapping girls is often associated with rape as shown in the results of a Google search. As also unofficially stated, the girls may be victims of what is widely known as bride kidnapping which is marriage by abduction or capture.

Available history revealed that in most cases, the men who resort to capturing a wife are often of lower social status, because of poverty, disease, poor character or criminality. When these categories of individuals rape the affected girls, they could caused serious medical damages that could be irreversible to the unyielding and uncooperative girls.

In March 2014, Al Jazeera's journalist, Rawya Rageh was in Kano, northern Nigeria to profile the rise in sexual assaults in the city which is predominantly a Muslim community with Sharia laws.

In just two months, over 100 rape cases were recorded in Kano even though Nigerian government is considering a life sentence for child rapists.

Also, HealthNewsNG.com's special report on increasing adolescent pregnancy revealed that rape is a major cause of adolescent pregnancies thus making adolescent girls - such as the ones that were kidnapped - the most endangered demography in Nigeria, especially at the grassroots where illiteracy and alliterates are ubiquitous. In these areas, adolescent pregnancies have become a common phenomenon and members of the society are always on the lookout for the next girl to become gravid.

In addition to adolescent pregnancy, infection with HIV is another major risk that these girls are facing. Very few kidnappers that force young girls to have sex with them use protection. As shown in several incidences across the world where young girls had been kidnapped and forced to have sex, many were infected with the dreaded HIV virus.

Vesticovaginal fistula could also occur, in addition to disorders associated with malnutrition, incarceration, oppression and suppression - not to talk of the possibility of any of the girls having an allergy.

Furthermore, being in the bush for days means there is also danger of the wild life. An unconfirmed report said some of the girls sustained snake bite injuries and had died. Incidences like this could increase when there is lack of access to good healthcare services.

Putting young girls through such an harrowing experience early in life could result in a number of psychological disorders including depression and anxiety. The parents, friends and relatives are also at greater risk which means the number of casualties may be more than 1,500 - the number of people killed so far this year by activities of Boko Haram terrorist group in northern Nigeria.

It is therefore a matter of potential public health risk if the girls are not quickly found and returned to their families which is why all hands must be on deck and all  stakeholders must work assiduously to ensure the prompt release of the kidnapped girls.

- This piece was written by Paul ADEPOJU, Managing Editor of HealthNewsNG.com. He could be reached via paul@healthnewsng.com